feature stories

last update: january 8th, 2014

october 24th, 2013

The Satellite Sentinel Project is issuing a human security warning for civilians living in Buram, Tess, and other areas to the south of Kadugli in Sudan’s South Kordofan state. Re-positioned aerial assets also place the highly contested Abyei area within range of the Sudanese army's arsenal. DigitalGlobe satellites will continue to monitor the Abyei area and watch for increased activity near Buram and Kadugli. We will issue additional alerts on signs of the Sudanese army's southbound movement.

september 30th, 2013

New satellite imagery of the border area between Sudan and South Sudan shows that neither government has fulfilled international obligations to demilitarize their shared border. Despite public recommitments made by both presidents in early September 2013, Sudanese and South Sudanese forces retain military units within the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ), including areas that are still subject to border dispute. DigitalGlobe satellite imagery shows that Sudan has kept a military presence along the border at six locations with 14 occupied positions. Sudan appears to have made an effort to remove or relocate some units positioned inside the SDBZ, but only the unit at Radom appears to be vacated. South Sudanese forces dismantled and then reoccupied a highway defensive position at Teshwin and have reduced their presence at Al Abyad Lake, Kiir Adem, Al-Kwek and Joda. Still, South Sudan maintains a presence at 10 locations in the SDBZ with 22 units. Tanks, technicals (truck-mounted heavy machine guns) and tents are visible on both sides of the border in satellite imagery (Figure 1).